MMUK MAN to open UK’s first men’s make-up store

The UK is set for a retail first as beauty brand MMUK MAN unveil plans to open their first male-only makeup store in Brighton early next year. Making high-street history, the brand that launched just five years ago has seen a huge rise in the number of gentlemen wishing to experiment with cosmetics, such as foundation, concealer and BB cream.

Back in August, MMUK celebrated their launch at online fashion giants ASOS, who now stock twelve of their core products. With makeup counters specifically for men predicted to arrive within five years by L’Oreal boss Vismay Sharma, the Brighton based company look set to further steal a march over its competitors and shift the plate tectonics of male beauty, far quicker than any of us could have anticipated.

“Opening our first bricks-and-mortar store is a symbol of how modern day men are fine tuning their grooming needs and are no longer worried about the perceived taboo surrounding them wearing makeup,” said Lucy Atkinson, a company spokesperson. “This major development is indicative of how the landscape of beauty is rapidly evolving.”

Self-proclaimed men’s makeup junkie Gianni Casagrande is one of thousands of men across the country, quickly coming to realise that a little touch up can go long way in the bathroom.

“There is definitely still a stigma around men’s make-up, but I think it’s becoming more normal now,” the social media strategist and beauty blogger told the BBC last week. “A lot more of my friends are wearing it, both gay and straight – it makes you feel a lot more comfortable and confident.”

The store itself will have a contemporary and urban feel to it, similar to that of capital based men’s grooming retailer BEAST. Including makeup booths, where gentlemen can be shown by MMUK’s makeup artists how to apply different products and discover their correct shades – the store will seek to create a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for the modern man to truly indulge.

Global Data’s consumer analyst Lia Neophytou said: “The availability of male beauty products in physical stores is an emerging opportunity that beauty manufacturers worldwide should tap into and will gain traction, particularly as the social barriers to wearing cosmetics and make-up among men continue to break down.”